It is a very surprising thing that I failed in finding one or more of the sepulchral chambers which I was in search of. All the three points against which the excavation had been directed, resembled externally that portion of the Cairn which had accidentally been found to contain a sepulchral chamber; and in all these three instances, did we dig from two to three feet below the level of the mouth of the said chamber. I may also mention that, before they abandoned the task, the workmen had made such progress, that what at first were two holes, had become one large one, by their two excavations meeting. Before concluding, I wish to offer a few remarks on the probable history of the Cairn I have been describing; and must beg your patience and attention for a few minutes more, while I advert as briefly as I am able to a delightful and highly poetical peculiarity which struck me much in the north, and at Skye particularly. I allude to the local nomenclature of every meadow, rock, and hill, which prevails so universally. An intelligent young clergyman, by name William Taylor, was obliging enough to furnish me with the names of the different localities immediately adjoining the Cairn, together with their significations; which are as follows. The local name of the field in which the Cairn stands, is Fiasag, which means ["the field of] beards." Supposing you to stand with your face to the sea, the field behind is called Pairc dhubh, which means "Black park or field," and the field behind that, Goirtean a' bhlair, which means "the field of the battle." Beyond, is a locality known as Guala fà'n dubhai, which means "the shoulder of lamentation." The first field on the left is called Achadh nan càrn, which means "the field of the cairns; "behind which is another "Black park or field." Next in order comes Paire bheag, which means "Little park ;" and a narrow slip of ground separating this from the beach is called Port an teampuill, which means the "Port of the temple." Next comes Cùl an t-sabhaill, which means "behind the barn; in the rear of which stands Creag an eas, which means "the rock of the waterfall," apparently a very inappropriate name; and further back still Glaic bhuidhe, or the "yellow hollow." The residence of Mr. Macinnon, which comes next, is improperly called Coirrie, that name being the appellation still retained by a locality about three miles off, where stands the farm anciently inhabited by the family. Coirrie is an abbreviation, the entire name being Coirrie chatachan, that is, "The corrie or hollow (literally, cauldron,) of wild cats." The present residence is sometimes called Laoras, of which the meaning is not known. I could conduct you further, but had better avail myself of your patience, to lay down the geography of the ground on the right hand of a person standing on the Cairn. A stream which divides Fiasag from Broadford is called, near its mouth, Alltan na bracha, which means the "streamlet of malt," because it was formerly used in distilling; higher up, it is called the "streamlet of seals." A road, running parallel with the beach, separates Goirtean na traghad, the "field of the shore," from Goirtean na h-uamha, the "field of the cave," to which I shall return by and by The meadows behind these are severally called the "height of Broadford,' the "short hill," and the "field of colt's foot." Next in order comes Bearbhai, of which the meaning is unknown; but a cairn stood here which was lately removed, inside which, among other objects, was found a curious ornament of green stone, pierced with four holes. Further on is Achadh a' chùirn, which means the "field of the cairn." " The extremity of this part of the coast is called Dùn-àcuinn, which means the "castle of Haco," by whom tradition declares the castle to have been built. It is separated from the mainland by Caol-àcuinn, which means the "straits of Haco;" that monarch, as it is said, having passed through them when he went on his great expedition. 1 propose to say a few words more concerning the "field of the cave," so called nobody knew why, till an accident revealed the propriety of the appellation. Mr. Macinnon informed me that a few years ago, a labourer of his, ploughing in that field, turned up a large stone, which produced a hollow, into which the man fell. This led to some investigation, when a subterranean passage was discovered, extending to about one hundred feet towards the sea, and capacious enough to admit a person on all-fours. It terminated in a circular chamber, which might have contained four persons crowded close together; and here some sheep bones, a few cinders, and a quern (or stone for grinding corn) were found, obviously showing that it had been a place for retreat and concealment in some remote age. places connected with the calamitous The poor people do not seem to be So much for matters of fact. The traditions of the Islanders remain to be noticed; and these, vague as they undoubtedly are, are as unquestionably founded in truth. A battle, say they, was fought on the "field of the battle," between the Scandinavians (Lochlannaich) and the Gaels; and during the engagement, the women stood on the shoulder of a neighbouring hill, watching the progress of the engagement; which being disastrous, they wrung their hands, crying" Fà mo dhubhai, fà mo dhubhai," "my cause of mourning, my cause of mourning," or, as we should say, 'alas! alas!" From which circumstance the place is called "the shoulder of the cause of mourning (or of lamentation)" to this day. "Narrations like this," as Dr. Johnson justly observes on another occasion," however uncertain, deserve the notice of a traveller, because they are the only records of a nation which has no historians." That the event was memorable, and, to the last degree, important to the natives themselves, everything conspires to prove; the nomenclature of the neighbourhood, six large cairns, of which I believe but two remain, and the numerous stone coffins (composed, each, of four flat stones) which were discovered in the "field of cairns," twenty or thirty years ago. Lastly, a nursery rhyme may be cited, which no one can explain, though every child in the Island It is a mere string of repeats it. names, the four first being the names of four very small neighbouring islands; and my intelligent informer declared it to be his opinion that it was a traditional list of the most remarkable Brunswick Square, Jan. 14, 1840. The Proclamation of the Regent Murray, MR. URBAN, Dec. 5. The somewhat Anglicised copy of the Proclamation of the Regent Murray, in the name of the infant James VI. relative to the murder of that royal minor's father, is rightly described in your Review, Dec. p. 633, as transmuted into an easier style for more convenient and current reading" at the evening meetings of the Society of Antiquaries. In that form it has been printed in the 28th vol. of the Society's Archaeologia, p. 429, Appendix. Owing to an accidental circumstance, I did not see the article until it had been printed off and published, or I should have requested to exchange it for the verbatim copy, by an amanuensis, which I preserved in my portfolio, in case it might ever be wanted for insertion in the Boy's Transactions. As far as the home bearing of this document is conĂ, the mistake is not very important; but as a specimen of the broad Scottish idiom, mixed with Gallicisms, in which it is penned, and as bearing strong presumptive internal evidence that the author was no other than the great classical scholar, George Buchanan, the tutor of James VI. and adherent of the Regent, the transmutation is unfortunate; and I am happy to avail myself of your historical depository, for the purpose of perpetuating a literal transcript of so curious an instrument. The original is closely printed in a clear black letter; and, as I have searched various collections in vain for another copy, I have every reason to believe that preserved at Loseley House, where I had access to it, is unique. I subjoin it, without further apology. Repulsive as the dialect may appear, it will repay the antiquary for an attentive perusal. It will form I conceive, a valuable supplemental article to the collections of Anderson, whose * notice it has entirely escaped; a proof of the extreme rarity which I have claimed for it. Ane Proclamatioun set furth by my Lord Regent, in the name of our Souerane Lord, declaring the purpose of thame quha assistit with our Souerane Lordis Mother, &c. James be the grace of God king of Scottis, to all and sindrie our faithfull and trew liegis to quhais knowlege this our letteris sall cum, greeting. Forsamekle as the occasioun of the present trublis, occurrit within our Realme, is nocht onknawin to you, and quhat wark God has wrocht in tyme bygane, sen the horrible and vnworthie murthour tresonablie perpetrat in the persoun of the King our maist deir father of worthie memorie: The warld may se it, and the posteriteis following will keip it in lesting memorie. That execrable fact, as it is detestable in Goddis sycht, sa aucht all men that outher feiris God or hes respect to the civile societie amangis men, to abhorre, with the personis that still wald manteine the authouris and devysaris of that beistley crueltie, and be the contrair, avance and promote the rychteous querell of us, thair native Prince and lauchfull King, descendit of the rycht lyne of the maist noble and * Collections relating to the History of Mary Queen of Scotland, by James Anderson, Esq. valeant Princes of this Regioun, as a speciall co'fort and favoure sent be the mercy and Providence of Almychtie God, to this afflictit natioun, And howbeit the cruel murtheraris of our maist deir father, thair favouraris and assistaris, efter his murthure, had conspyrit the same coupe for us to taist of: To transferr the Crowne fra the rychteous lyne to sic as lang has bene ambitious thairof: yit that same God, that preservit our innocent personn fra thair mercyles handis, has respected the equitie of our cause, and maintenit the same to his glorie and our saifgaird, when in mannis sycht baith we and thay that prafessit our obedience and avowit our querell wer maist lyke to have bene overthrawin. Bot because the malicious hartis of our conspyrit Ennemeis nocht only proceedis in that wicketnes and rebellioun aganis us and our authoritie, bot alswa seducis the trew and semple peple our liegis to follow thame, sclanderouslie speikand of us as that our tytill wer in doubt, We have thocht gude to notifie and mak knawin the certaintie of the haill mater, for the satisfactioun of thame quhais being resolvit of the nakit and sempill judgement yit remains in suspens, that treuth, thay may gif place to the rycht, and abstene fra errour. And put a difference betuix our trew subjectis seikand Goddis glorie and our dew obedience, and the rebellious factioun tresonablie seikand to bereve us of our lauchfull crowne and proper inheritance, under ane craftie pretens of the Quene our motheris tytill, unto quhome (God wate) thay beir no better gude will nor unto us; saulffing in sa far as hir presence may move a contraversie, quhairin be proces of tyme having baith us and hir cuttit of, they may win the game, and possess the garland lang hopit for. Bot quhat end sall God put to sic usurparis? All ancient histories, baith godly and prophaine, declairis in similitude. Was euer innocent murthoure left unrevengeit? Or was it euer in the power of man, sa far to blind the eyis of him that is Almychtie, bot quhen the inequetie of men was cum to fulnes his potent hand quicklie confoundit baith the force and polecie of his wickit creaturis. That cullorat clenseing of James sumtyme Erle Bothwell, cheif murtherar of our deir father upon the xii day of Aprill in the yeir of God 1567 yeiris, culd nocht assure that godles and wicket man, nor mak his cankerit conscience rest without terroure, the haill warld persaving his pretens no other thing but as a mask to blind the eyis of God and man. The murtherar seiking his awin purgation, the accustomat order of the law pervertit. In that sufficient warning was nocht gevin to our derrest gudschir, and otheris the kin and freindis of our said deir father, to follow and persew the murtheraris, and the verray tyme of the committing of that crueltie nocht expressit; nouther yit could that onhonest and pretendit mariage suddanly and unprovisitly thairefter ac complissit, nather blind God, or satisfe the peple, that continually cravit venge ance of God for that saikles blude and concelit murthure, nor yit the resisting or rather mocking of God and the warid culd colure schame and dishonour, quhair it was sa far proceedit, that honour, conscience, and greitnes were all tynt, for the inordinat affectioun borne to that Tyrane. Laith we are to condiscend mair speciallie, bot allace quhat proffitis silence, quhair there is no repentance? Not wordis and reportis of men, bot writ remains, contening the discours of that lamentable Tragedie and unnatural crueltie The treuth quhair of no proces of tyme will consume nor aye weir away. And when that unlauchfull divorce was maid and mair unlauchfull mariage compleit, quhat estait our innocent persoun stude into the Eternall God best knawis and all godly men may judge. Our father laitly murtherit, and the Quene our mother cuplit with him thait was the cheif authour of that mischevous deid. Scho thrall and subject to him, circuit with a cumpanie of ungodly and wickit persounis, notorious pyratis, murtheraris and otheris reddy to execute all thair unlefull commandementis, divers of our nobilitie abhorring with the wickit tyme, other departing furth of our Realme, or prively reposing themselfis to se the end of that confusion, at last constranit be just necessity, it behuivit thame, rather lait nor never to provide for our suertie, quhome God had grantit to thame as native Prince, that we suld nocht fall into the mercyles handis of thame quhilkis slew our father; to separate that Tyrane and godles man, fra the Quene our Mother, and to put our persoun in suertie. For quhilk purpose, ane greit number of our trew and faithfull subjects, being convenit on the feild, aganis the said Erle: after he had refusit singular combat of a Lord and Barroun of Parliament and gentleman undefamit (Howbeit befair he had offerit himself thairto be his cartell and Proclamation) he eschapit and our said mother, come to the Noblemen and otheris our faithfull subjectis convenit for that effect: quha refusing to leif the ungodlie and unhonest companie of the murtherar of our father, and menassing sic as had been cairfull of our preserva tion, be como consent sche was put in suerte, qua further desenca be had in the mater. Schorty dura God manifesto the arber Bar deny. And nocht stly the resort of miers actually present then mi may inher things, if presumedian declarit the treith, restring many of the doubt they stude o Avers de Quene our mother, seing the truncus securring in her governement, how trarioase things saccent and how evi hir subjects fait of her dimittit the Crise of this king with all boccurs, privilega, mi moditeis thair in our farians. Ansorting to the gas, be a pres umber of the thre estatis of our Realne, purposy convenit to execute hir LSGL war laudally inaugrant with the criva royal of this our kington, and our deare cousin, James Eari of Murray. Lovi Abirnethy, nominat, electin, wire and admittet in Regent to us our maine and liegis, to our age of 1 pans, qaba according to his commissions di all that was in him to mantelse the gode and Godly pear, standing betwix us and all Christiane prisces our spatorena, freindis and confederatis: To terenie justice and quyetnes in the suit of our common weill, for the commoditie and saifgard of trew men and vertacus personages, and punischement of broken men, trublaris of the cuntrie and otseris transgressouris of the Lawis. Quik our Coronatioun, Inauguration, and Possession in the Crowne of this our Realme, is be actis of ane lauchfull, free, and plaine Parliament fund and declarit to be dewie, rychtlie, and ordourlie done and execute, and als lauchfull and valeabill in the self in all respectis, and we als rychte. ouslie Investit in this our kingdome, as our said mother, our gudschir, grandschir, or ony otheris our maist nobiil Progenitouris, native Princes of this our Realme, war and hes bene of befoir, or as gif scho the tyme of the said Coronatioun had bene departed furth of this mortall lyfe, or had coperit personallie in the presence of the haill thre estatis of this our Realme, assemblit in Parliament, and maid the said dimissioun, notwithstanding ony manner of tytill, actioun, or interest, or any other thing, that presently or can heirafter be objectit in the contrair. And als that the nominatioun, constitution, and ordinatioun of our said derrest cousing, in Regent to us our Realme and leigis during the tyme of our minoritie, and the acceptatioun of the said office be him was, is, and in all tyme cuming salbe, repute, haldin, and estemit lauchful, sufficient and perfite, and all thingis quhilkis he had quyetnes and gude dayis quhairin thay had ane interes. Bot movit partly of ambitioun, partly in hope of gayne, and saikles revenge of thame that never offendit thame, and cheifly to stay the ordinair course of justice, tresonablie aganis the tennour of the saidis Actis of Parliament, practizit and conspyrit aganis the libertie of the Quene our Mother. And in conclusion be fraudulent and craftie meanis, brocht the same to pas in sic sort, as scho was nocht only covoyit to Hamil. toun: bot thair throw the perverst counsell of sic as had been participant of our said fatheris murther, sa far inducit hir, that scho intendit be force to bereve us of our Crowne, quhairwith we are rychtfully possest. And for the mair spedie execution of the purpose, covenit a greit force nocht only of sic as lang hes thurstit for our place, bot of otheris dissemblit freindis and unnaturell subjectis. To quhat thair tresonabill Insurrectioun and rebellioun hes succedit, ze all our gude subjectis understandis. God has avancit our just and rychteous querell, and grantit us victorie of our conspyrit Ennemies, quhuis blude nather we nor nane profess. ing our obedience or avowing our querell ever socht. Bot being sharplie assaultit and persewit for preservatioun of our innocent persoun, and that rowme and authoritie quhairin God has placet us, it behuivit our said Regent, the Nobill men and faithfull subjectis assisting, to resist thair crueltie and invasioun. Quhat womanlie mercy was in the persoun of hir, that (allace) thocht the schedding of Scottis blude a plesand spectacle? Quhat favoure and clemencie can men look for at hir handis, that steris this seditioun, aganis us hir only lauchfull sone? or quhat securitie can Nobill men or godly men think thame selfis into, scho bering the regement, be quhais occasioun, our maist deir father, being a portioun of hir awin flesche, was sausit? God hes his counsells to put in executioun, and alreddy hes begunnin to execute his jugementis. Sic as feiris God, and would the lauchfull and rychteous blude Royall continewit in the successioun of our Crowne, will willinglie obey us and forth set our authorititie. The same God that has overcu the rebellious factioun anis will it repres thair insolence, gif they tend to farther outreueth and conspiricies. And we dout nocht but 3e will assist us, in thair contrair, to thair opprobrye and confusioun. Our will is theirfoir, and we straitlie cōmand and charge 30w all and sindrie our liegis and subjectis foirsaidis, as ye will answer to God and upon 30ur alligeance and bundin dewtie to us, that none of 30w take upon hand, to ryse, assist, for done or suld do be vertue of his said office, to be als dewly, lauchfully, sufficiently, and rychteously done, and to have as greit availl, force, strength, and effect in all respectis and conditiounis, as ony thingis done be quhatsumever Regentis, Governouris, or protectouris of this our Realme, in the minoriteis and les ages of any otheris native Princes of the samin. Ratifiand, approvand, and confirmand the said nominatioun and acceptatioun in all its poyntis. And als in the same lauchfull, free, and plaine Parliament, it was fundin, declarit, and concludit, that the cause and occasioun of the couentiounis and messagis of the Erles, Lordis, Nobill men, Barrounes, and otheris faithfull and true subjectis, and cōsequently thair taking of armes and cuing to the feildis with open and displayit banneries, and the cause and occasioun of the taking of the persoun of the Quene our Mother upon the xv day of Junii last by past, and halding and detening of hir within the hous and fortelice of Lochlevin continually sen syne and in tyme cuming, and generally all other thingis iventet, spoken, writtin, or done be thame or ony of thame to that effect, sen the tent day of februar the zeir of God 1566 yeiris, upon the quhilk day unquhile the King our maist deir father was tresounablie, schamefullie, and horriblie murtherit, unto the day and dait of the said act, tuicheing hir and detening of hir persoun, that the cause and all thingis depending thairon, or that ony wayis may pertene thairto, was (to our greif) in hir awin default. The causis quhairof, as they are patent to God, so (allace) thay are over manifest to the haill world. Quhat the Parliament hes concludit, presentlie nedis nocht to be expressit at greitar length, it is contenit in writ and prent. And mony otheris nor the Inhabitantis of this cuntrie, hes knawlege of the same. Bot quhat suretie is abill to gainstand Tresoun? Or quhat bandis and subscriptiounis can perswade thame to be trew, that are alls facill with thair handis to subscrive, as with thair toungis to speik the thing thay think nocht? The schame is thair awin, and the spot and ignominie will lest unto thair posteriteis. Gif ony in the degre of nobilitie, or ony other our meanest subjects, had beene oppressed, disdanit, or handlit otherwayis nor the ancient Lawis of the cuntrie prescrivit, than men mycht have had occasioun to werie of our governement, and to have socht alteratioun; bot quhat is he, that in his conscience is abill to complene or accuse that estait, of unjust dealing or uncourtessie, zit seditious men of unquyet spirite, inuifull to se the pure peple of this our Realme enioy that |